Siemens partners with Microsoft and FuelCell Energy to design and
install power monitoring technology that measures the performance and
energy output of the fuel cell system

Intelligent hardware and software allow alternative resources to be
proven as a source of reliable energy for critical installations like
the new Microsoft datacenter

November 06, 2014 09:05 AM Eastern Daylight Time

ATLANTA--(EON: Enhanced Online News)--Siemens Energy Management has partnered with Microsoft and FuelCell
Energy to design, engineer and install equipment and software, including
a power monitoring solution, for the nation’s first zero-carbon,
waste-to-energy data center in Cheyenne, WY. The project uses biogas
methane produced by common waste byproducts at the nearby Dry Creek
wastewater facility to power the fuel cell system. The fuel cell system
then converts the biogas into electricity to power the Microsoft
datacenter.

“Siemens’ brightest engineers brought their vast data center and power
industry expertise to build a custom solution that proves resources like
biogas and fuel cells can be relied on to provide reliable power to
critical installations.”

Siemens engineered and installed intelligent controls, power monitoring
hardware and energy management software that is helping to power the
first zero-carbon data center that will be entirely independent from the
grid. The system measures the overall performance and energy output of
the fuel cell to ensure consistent, high-quality power is delivered to
operate Microsoft’s data center 24-7. By utilizing Siemens’ intelligent
technology, renewable resources like biogas and technologies such as
fuel cells can be a proven source of reliable energy for full-scale
power projects.

“In any data center, power quality and reliability is key since the
facility must run uninterrupted 24-7 to protect information stored
there,” said Kevin Yates, head of Siemens Energy Management Division.
“Siemens’ brightest engineers brought their vast data center and power
industry expertise to build a custom solution that proves resources like
biogas and fuel cells can be relied on to provide reliable power to
critical installations.”

Microsoft and FuelCell Energy came to Siemens with specific parameters
for the project, and based on this data, Siemens engineered the power
monitoring technology to provide detailed insight into the power
generation process so the biogas and fuel cell concept could be shown to
produce reliable energy and move the project from pilot to full-scale.

How the Power Monitoring System Works

The Siemens software and hardware monitors the amount of biogas being
sent to the fuel cell, the conversion to usable energy, and the fuel
cell output to ensure that enough electricity is created throughout
this process to reliably power Microsoft’s datacenter.

The technology also includes predictive demand alert capability so the
data center operators are made immediately aware of any power quality
or energy demand issues.

The Microsoft data center will operate completely off the grid and,
based on measurements from Siemens’ power monitoring system, is expected
to produce 250 kilowatts of renewable power and use approximately 100
kilowatts. The additional power will be sent back to the waste water
treatment facility to reduce its electric bills.

As part of the integrated solution, Siemens also provided environmental
controls for this project inside the datacenter to manage air
temperature, flow, and humidity. Siemens also provided circuit breakers
that deliver energy to the servers and protect power supply in cases of
low or high energy levels within the container.

Siemens AG (Berlin and Munich) is a global technology powerhouse
that has stood for engineering excellence, innovation, quality,
reliability and internationality for more than 165 years. The company is
active in more than 200 countries, focusing on the areas of
electrification, automation and digitalization. One of the world’s
largest producers of energy-efficient, resource-saving technologies,
Siemens is No. 1 in offshore wind turbine construction, a leading
supplier of combined cycle turbines for power generation, a leading
provider of power transmission solutions and a pioneer in infrastructure
solutions and automation and software solutions for industry. The
company is also a leading supplier of medical imaging equipment – such
as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging systems – and a
leader in laboratory diagnostics as well as clinical IT. In fiscal 2013,
which ended on September 30, 2013, revenue from continuing operations
totaled €75.9 billion and income from continuing operations €4.2
billion. At the end of September 2013, Siemens had around 362,000
employees worldwide on the basis of continuing operations. Further
information is available on the Internet at www.siemens.com.